Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 18.10.2024 
We are thrilled and deeply honoured to be shortlisted for the Best Integrated Campaign of the Year (B2C) at the Global Digital Excellence Awards! This recognition is a testament to our commitment to delivering remarkable results across all digital channels, whilst collaborating with multiple divisions within a considerably large company. Our passion for performance drives us to account for every touchpoint, ensuring a seamless and impactful integrated campaign. We partnered with various industry leaders throughout in hopes to create a collaborative environment filled with insights and originalities. By noting the intricacies within various channels as well as diverse perspectives, we refined our approach to maximise our campaign’s effectiveness. This nomination is a celebration of these collaborative efforts and our dedication to striving for excellence.
Who We Are and What We Believe In
At Etihad, our core marketing philosophy relies on the power of data layered with creativity to drive impactful results. We see marketing as an intricate blend of analytical insights and innovative thinking, where data guides both strategy and creativity. Personalisation is important in our approach because we understand that each interaction is an opportunity to deliver relevant and engaging experiences that consumers can engage with. We believe that each marketing touchpoint can be tapped in to resonate with individual preferences, ensuring that our brand and messaging is meaningful and effective. By leveraging data to fine-tune our strategies and enhance personalisation, we can and have created a compelling narrative that speaks directly to our audience’s wants and needs.
Why This Campaign and Nomination is Important to Us
This campaign marks a groundbreaking moment for Etihad, as it represents our first journey to reshape the narrative around a major event like Black Friday, which traditionally doesn’t focus on the travel industry. We seized the unique opportunity to refresh the conversation around travel during this major shopping period, daring to shift perceptions and bring our industry back into the spotlight. Being shortlisted for this award is incredibly meaningful to us, as it acknowledges the bold risk we took and the success it generated. We didn’t just create an integrated marketing campaign; we had to seamlessly integrate as a new team, learning to balance each member’s unique strengths and perspectives. This recognition celebrates our ability to come together, adapt, and turn ambitious ideas into a successful reality, exemplifying the marketing philosophy we believe in.
What We Learnt from This Campaign
Through this campaign, we gained invaluable insights into the power of a multi-channel approach and the importance of tailored content. By strategically deploying creatives across Meta, TikTok, Display, and Paid Search, we engaged with diverse audiences through hyper-personalised messages that resonated deeply. The use of dynamic video templates allowed us to match highly sought after products during Black Friday with our destinations, enhancing relevance and engagement. Our partnerships, including collaborations with Manchester City Football Club and subscription campaigns on META, significantly amplified our reach, while targeted paid search efforts on Google and Microsoft capitalised on high-interest queries.
Key results from our most successful digital sale to date include:
- A 33% increase in pre-sale subscriptions
- A 56% surge in website visits
- A 35% rise in digital revenue
- A remarkable 69% increase in ROI
How We Have and Will Work Moving Forward
This campaign not only drove record-breaking engagement and bookings but also boosted global brand awareness, proving that innovative strategies and effective integration can successfully turn shoppers into travellers and reinforce the travel industry’s relevance during peak retail periods. Our experience highlighted the extraordinary value of collective creativity and cross-departmental collaboration as the most brilliant marketing campaigns emerge when diverse minds come together. It allowed us to craft more nuanced and impactful strategies, ensuring we reach and connect with our audiences in the most effective and engaging ways. Thanks to this opportunity, our now award-nominated Black Friday campaign has set a new standard for collaborative excellence in marketing.
About: Etihad Airways is the national airline of the UAE. From our home in Abu Dhabi, we fly to passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Together with our codeshare partners, our network offers access to hundreds of international destinations in just one booking. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for our latest updates.
